Infinity
by Imagination-Parade
Summary: Booth and the Squints are forced to go to a banquet at the Jeffersonian and spend most of the evening trying to avoid the party. Plus, Booth and Brennan continue to work through the issues that Sully's departure brought up between them. Set after 2x17.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi guys! Well, I thought I was out of stories to post, but then I found this little tale hidden on my jump drive. So, there's not much to say about this one except that it's set after 2.17 "The Priest in the Churchyard." The timing will be important later on._

_As always, I don't own Bones, and please review after you've finished reading!_

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Temperance Brennan stood near the wall of the Jeffersonian Institute's ballroom, silently sipping a glass of champagne, while Jack Hodgins stood besides her, ranting about their boss, Cam Saroyan. This evening marked another of the banquets occasionally held for the Institute's donors. Cam, much like Dr. Goodman, had insisted that everyone on her team attend with absolutely no exceptions. Not even Booth had been able to escape this one. Since he acted as the FBI liaison to her team and was featured in the article about the partnership between the Jeffersonian and the FBI, Cam had insisted that he attend as well.

Brennan hated these parties with every cell in her being. She hated dressing up, she hated talking to donors who thought her job was 'disgusting' and her books were 'disturbing,' and she hated having to leave the lab while she was in the middle of an important case to attend a silly, frivolous party. She had tried to mingle and talk with some of the guests when she arrived, but after she grew tried of answering the same old questions about her books and her work, she found Jack hiding in a corner of the ballroom and decided to join him.

It was only recently that she had learned who Jack really was. He was hiding in the corner of the ballroom, leaning against a wall, champagne in hand, in hopes of keeping his true identity under wraps. He had begged Cam to let him stay behind at the lab, figuring that she would understand because she, too, knew about his family's ties to the Cantilever Group and the Jeffersonian, but Cam had ended up threatening his job, so in the end, Jack had no choice but to attend.

Brennan looked around the room as Jack continued to rant about how such events were just bureaucratic nonsense and had to be a part of some bigger government conspiracy. She spotted her boss first. Cam stood calm and composed while chatting with some of the donors, and Brennan instantly thought about how fantastic Cam is with people. Brennan often wished she possessed Cam's people skills. Cam could talk to anyone about anything, while all Brennan knew how to discuss was anthropology, skeletons, and murder. Cam's long, dark hair was fashioned in a simple ponytail that hung down her back, while thin, straight bangs graced her face. She wore a simple, strapless, black dress.

Brennan's eyes left Cam and looked for her other friends. Angela was awkwardly trying to dance with Zack because Hodgins had refused to leave the corner and dance with her several times. Angela had been forced to go with the next best thing. Brennan could see that it was not going well as Angela was clearly becoming frustrated with Zack's lack of coordination.

Booth, however, was nowhere to be found. Brennan definitely enjoyed Jack's company, but a part of her had been hoping to spend her time at the event with Booth. She wanted to continue discussing their case so the evening wouldn't be completely wasted, and she knew, though she'd never admit it, that she simply liked spending time with him. She watched all of the happy couples, plus Angela and Zack, out on the dance floor, and she felt her heart sink a bit. Sully had promised to come to this event with her after she had first found about it a month ago. It had been two and a half weeks since he had set off for the Caribbean without her. Her mind knew that she had made the correct decision, but that fact didn't make coping with his leaving any easier. She titled her head towards Jack as her mind refocused on what he was saying.

"So you and I can just stand here all night and fight the system," Jack finished, taking a long drink of his champagne as a means of toasting his declaration.

Brennan pondered his words for a moment. "Can it really be considered fighting the system if we're _at _the party?" she asked.

"Ah, that's the beauty of it, baby. I may be _at _the party, but I am not _participating_ in the party," he said with pride in his voice.

"Good enough for me," Brennan shrugged, ignoring the 'baby' remark.

At that moment, Zack joined them in the corner. His hair was gelled into a stylish clean-cut look and he wore a black suit, yellow shirt, and navy blue tie. Brennan briefly thought about how much more adult he had looked since he received his doctorate and felt a sense of pride. Zack glanced over his shoulder to see if Angela had followed him. Angela was slowly making her way over to them, briefly stopping for some refreshments along the way.

"Hodgins, dance with her. _Please_," Zack pleaded with him, his face stern.

"No way, man," Hodgins said, shaking his head. Zack's desperation amused him, so he smiled as he answered Zack's question.

"How about you?" Zack asked, turning to Brennan.

"Sorry, Zack. I'm, uh, fighting the system," she said, repeating Jack's words.

"Yeah!" Hodgins exclaimed gleefully. He clinked his champagne glass with Brennan's and finished off the drink.

"What system, Dr. Brennan?" Zack asked, thoroughly confused.

"Oh, _don't_ answer that," Angela said, joining them.

Angela wore a floor-length, spaghetti-strapped, purple ball gown that was covered in glitter and sparkles. Her makeup was just as dramatic, and her hair hung loose around her shoulders with the ends curled into little ringlets. She looked at her friends with a disapproving expression on her face.

"She found us," Hodgins muttered.

"People," Angela said. "There is a _party_ going on."

Hodgins, who was dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and a purple tie to match Angela's dress, wrapped his arm around Angela's waist and tugged her to him, kissing her cheek gently. Brennan and Zack stayed silent. Angela looked among her friends' faces, waiting for a response. She sighed, realizing she wasn't going to get one, and looked at Zack.

"_You_, this is your first banquet as a full-fledged forensic anthropologist. You finally got your doctorate! You should be out there bragging to anyone who will listen," she said.

"But bragging is a sign of arrogance and conceit. I don't believe I want to come off like that," Zack protested.

"Honey, you're smarter than every single person in this room, except _maybe_ Brennan, so I think you've earned it," Angela said. She turned to Brennan. "_You _look _gorgeous _tonight, and every guy in this place would agree."

"But…" Brennan began.

"No. Now I know part of you is still upset over Sully, but that's all the more reason to go meet someone new," Angela said.

Brennan was dressed in a cobalt blue halter dress that fell just below her knees and accentuated her light blue eyes. Angela had picked it out for her, and despite Brennan's protests that it was way too low-cut, she had decided to wear it anyway. The dress didn't have any over-the-top or flashy decorations to it, which was just the way Brennan liked it. Angela had styled her hair into a fashionable, but incredibly uncomfortable, up do, and she was currently standing on tall, silver, stiletto heels. Her lips were a soft pink color, and the rest of her makeup had earthy tones and gave her pale skin a natural-looking glow.

Angela waited a moment for Brennan to respond before turning to her boyfriend. "And _you_," she sighed. "Technically, you're one of the ones this party is being thrown for, so you really should try to enjoy it."

"I like my life as it is, Angie. I don't want my status or my reputation at the lab to change," Hodgins said firmly, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Angela knew all of this and felt her heart soften a bit at the sad look in his eyes. "Okay, so you have an excuse, but you two don't," she said, bringing her focus back to Brennan and Zack.

Brennan and Zack exchanged glances. Both were perfectly content with staying up against that wall for the duration of the party, but both knew that logically, Angela was right. Brennan took a deep breath and pushed herself off the wall.

"I suppose Cam won't be too pleased when she inevitably finds all four of us over here," Brennan muttered.

"Dr. Brennan's right," Zack agreed. "I guess I could try conversing with some of the donors."

"How long have we been here?" Hodgins groaned. He was currently about to finish his fourth glass of champagne for the evening, and by the looks of it, the alcohol was finally beginning to take effect.

"A little less than an hour," Angela answered, looking at her watch. "Sorry guys, but there's probably at least a couple hours left." All three scientists sighed.

"Where's Booth? Isn't he supposed to be enduring this infinite torture with us?" Hodgins asked.

"I saw him earlier, but I don't know where he disappeared to," Angela said. "Now, go mingle!"

"Fine, but if I have to sign one more book or explain to someone how I could 'possibly write such horrific murder sequences,' I'm going home," Brennan declared, walking away.

"And if I encounter one more person who doesn't know what a phalange is, I'm taking a cab home," Zack asserted, leaving the group as well.

Angela watched them walk away and shook her head slightly. She turned to Hodgins and opened her mouth as if to say something. He cut her off before she could get a word out.

"And if you try to get me to dance one more time, I'm going home, and you're not coming with me," Hodgins said.

"Well…okay, then," Angela said. She sighed and took a sip of her wine.

"Zack!" Cam exclaimed, grabbing his arm.

"Dr. Saroyan, where are we going?" Zack asked as Cam led him to the side of the ballroom.

"There are some people who would like to meet you," Cam said. They approached a couple in their mid-50s. "Mr. and Mrs. Burton, I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Dr. Zack Addy."

"Technically, I've been with the Jeffersonian longer than you have," Zack said to Cam. She used her eyes to focus his gaze onto the couple. Zack got the message. He turned to the couple. "Nice to meet you."

"Dr. Addy has been the assistant to Dr. Temperance Brennan for several years, and he just completed his doctorate in forensic anthropology," Cam continued.

"Congratulations, young man," Mr. Burton said.

"Thank you," Zack muttered.

"Oh, that must be such an awful job, though. Dealing with death all day must be dreadful," Mrs. Burton said.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group as Zack realized everyone was waiting for him to respond. Cam gently nudged him, encouraging him to say something.

"Did you know that _coccidiomycosis_, otherwise known as Valley Fever or San Joaquin Valley Fever, is a fungus that can lead to pneumonia, meningitis, spontaneous abortion in women, or even death?" Zack said with confidence and speed.

The couple exchanged a glace, not knowing what to make of Zack's random fact. Cam sighed and looked down at the ballroom's floor. Zack may finally look like a professional, but his people skills still had a long way to go.

Brennan stood near the bartender, silently searching the room for her partner. Booth had joined them in the limo ride over. Where was he?

"Parties like this aren't really your thing, huh?" a man asked her. She glanced over. He looked nice enough.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked.

"Edward Perry," he said, holding out his right hand for her to shake. She instantly noticed that he hadn't answered her question.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan," she said, shaking his hand. "Why didn't you answer my question?"

"Temperance Brennan…the novelist?" he asked impressed.

"The forensic anthropologist," she replied immediately. She hated it when people assumed being a novelist was her only, or her most important, career.

"Two career woman. Very cool," Edward said.

"Uh, thanks," she replied awkwardly.

"You know a lot of guys get nervous or intimidated by smart, successful women, but not me," he said with a cocky tone of voice.

"Okay," she said, not sure of what to make of his statement.

"So you work for the Jeffersonian?" he asked.

"Yes, I do. I work in the Anthropology Unit of the Institute's Medico-Legal Lab," she replied with confidence. "What do you do?"

"I'm a lawyer," he replied. "I'm here because my grandpa worked for the Jeffersonian, and my family has remained big contributors to the Institution ever since." Brennan nodded. He decided to switch topics. "So are the murders in your books based on real cases or do you just make up all that horrible, gruesome stuff?"

"Excuse me a minute," she said not-so-politely and stepped outside of the ballroom.

Once outside of the ornate wood doors, Brennan glanced back inside and saw Angela seemingly berating Edward. Brennan rolled her eyes as she realized Angela had sent that idiot to talk to her in an attempt to set her up. Hodgins was still in the corner looking slightly drunk and amused as he watched Angela yell at the lawyer. Zack's face looked panicked as he endeavored to chat with the older couple, and Cam was gliding smoothly along the dance floor with a young man from the Jeffersonian. She briefly thought about her obligation to attend the party but quickly decided that no one inside would miss her if she disappeared for a while.

The ballroom was located on the top floor of the Jeffersonian Natural History Museum. A few couples spilled out into the hallway, but Brennan guessed that few knew the museum as well as she did. She quietly slipped down a few more hallways and made her way through a few of the deserted smaller exhibits before arriving at the Jeffersonian Planetarium.

_Please let the door be unlocked_, she thought.

Her long, thin fingers curled around the door handle, and she tugged gently. To her surprise, the door opened right away. She quickly glanced around to make sure no one was watching before she entered the room.

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_Chapter Two should be up soon! Don't forget to review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all the reviews, guys! I really appreciate it._

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She walked down the small entranceway, the clicking of her heels muffled by the carpet underneath her feet. The planetarium's auditorium was spherical, with several rows of seats all around the edges of the sphere. The center of the auditorium was open, giving people room to walk and move around. A single wooden podium stood directly opposite the entranceway. When Brennan entered the auditorium, she found that the room was bright, the night sky projectors were turned off, and, as she quickly discovered, she was not alone. Her partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth was standing at the podium, looking attentively at the operational buttons and knobs that rested on it.

"Booth?" she said. No wonder no one could find him. He looked up and smiled brightly when he saw who had discovered his hideout.

"Hey, Bones," he said.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, looking around. He sighed heavily.

"Okay, I, admittedly, didn't have the best attitude in the world when we arrived at this party, but after 20 minutes, I couldn't take it anymore! I was asked why I would want to work with dead bodies when I could be out shooting down bad guys twice, and I was called 'Agent Andy Lister' three times," he explained.

"It's not you!" Brennan instinctively responded. She paused and thought about his words. "Wait a minute, you're good with people. Why would simple things like that send you fleeing the scene of the party for a planetarium?"

"The final straw came when a college kid asked me if you and I have hot, crazy sex like Kathy and Andy do in your books and then asked if I could give you his number if the answer was no because apparently, you're the hottest geek he's ever seen. His words, not mine," Booth explained, becoming irritated at the mere recollection of the incident.

Brennan chuckled slightly. Of course he would run away as soon as someone brought up sex. "So what happened?" she asked.

"He handed me his number, I told him I'd pass it on, and then I got out of there. I checked out the exhibits briefly and just ended up in here."

"So where's his phone number?" she asked.

"_College kid_, Bones! He couldn't have been older than 19! I threw it out," Booth said. She smiled at his reaction and he realized that his partner had asked the question simply to get a reaction out of him.

"And next time someone asks you why you'd rather work with dead bodies then shoot things, just tell them that while shooting criminals definitely can be fun, the work you do is extremely fulfilling," she said.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked her, choosing to ignore her comment about how fun shooting people can be.

"I got tired of the questions about my books and why I seem to love my job so much," she said.

"Is that it?" he asked sensing that she wasn't telling him the whole truth.

She sighed. "And Angela tried to set me up with a moronic lawyer who probably couldn't even _spell_ forensic anthropology," she explained. "She seems really determined to get me a date tonight, so I decided to leave before she could find another equally stupid suitor to send my way."

Booth smiled slightly. "That sounds like Angela," he agreed.

"I know she means well, though," Brennan said honestly.

"Of course she does," Booth agreed. "How are the other Squints doing?"

"When I left, Cam was dancing, Zack was trying to talk to donors, and Hodgins is 'fighting the system' by means of detachment and alcohol," Brennan said. Booth laughed as he fidgeted with the buttons on the podium.

"Damn it!" he sighed.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I've been in here for probably about half an hour, and I can't figure out how to turn the damn lights off and the stars on," he said.

"Let me," she said.

Brennan walked over to the podium and gently nudged him out of her way. She looked down at the podium for a moment as he watched her closely, not believing that she'd be able to get it working. She pressed the button to turn the night sky on and turned a knob to quench the room into darkness, allowing the stars to shine. He frowned. He had been in the planetarium trying to do what she had just done in two seconds for the last half hour. After contemplating this for a few more milliseconds, Booth smiled. She had proven him wrong yet again. He was always pleasantly surprised when he managed to learn something new about her.

"Hey, thanks, Bones," he said, touching her shoulder.

Booth, dressed in his standard FBI outfit, complete with striped socks, flashy tie, and 'cocky' belt buckle, moved to the center of the circular auditorium and laid down in the open center. He bent his arms and rested his hands behind his head. After a bit of fidgeting, he found a comfortable position on the floor. Booth expected Brennan to quickly join him and lay down beside him. When she didn't, he turned around to see what she was doing.

The room was dark, but the stars illuminated the auditorium enough for Booth to see Brennan's body position and her facial features. She was standing besides the podium and didn't appear to be moving at all. One arm, from elbow to palm, rested on the podium as the other hung loosely by her side. She was looking up, focusing intently on the stars. Her mouth hung open slightly as sadness shone on her face. Booth stood, removed his jacket, and slung it over a chair. She was clearly upset, and he instinctively felt the need to make everything better. He walked closer to Brennan but kept his distance for the time being.

"Bones?" he asked quietly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, keeping her gaze on the stars. Booth quickly thought about what a horrible liar she was before trying again.

"I know you're lying. You've got the sad little girl face you get when you're upset," he said.

"I do not have a 'sad little girl face,'" she protested. "And I'm fine."

"Temperance," he said. She moved her head to look at him. He resisted the urge to smile. Using her real name always managed to get her attention. It was a method that never failed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she insisted. She paused for a moment. "It's silly."

"Not if it's important to you, it's not."

She conceded. "Sully…was supposed to come here with me tonight. He sort of promised."

"And he left you about three weeks ago, and now you're feeling lonely," Booth concluded.

"No, I'm not feeling lonely, exactly," she said. "I'm more…disappointed. He broke his promise."

Booth examined her face and her baby blue eyes for a moment to try to determine what was really going on inside that head of hers. "You're wishing you went with him," he realized.

"No," Brennan said, firmly. "I made the right choice. I know I did."

"But, even so, the longer he's gone, the more you play the 'what if' game in your head, and now that you've had almost three weeks to really think about and process what happened, you're beginning to regret your decision," he said.

"I don't believe in regrets," she said in her normal cool, scientific tone. "Or the 'what if' game. They're irrational, not to mention a waste of time."

"No, Bones, they're human. It's normal. I know normal is a hard thing for your type to understand, but just go with it," Booth said. His slight grin faded as she shot him a death glare. "Okay, okay, forget normal. Let's _rationalize_ your feelings."

"I can do that for myself, Booth," Brennan said.

"I know you can, Bones, but it'll be faster if I help," he said. He turned on the Booth charm, stepped closer to her, and shot her his sweetest smile.

"Fine," she said, surrendering to his irresistible expression. "You may try."

"Well, okay, I know you like logic, so we'll look at this logically," he began.

"I already did that, Booth. When Sully presented his offer, I thought about what he was asking from me, weighed the pros and cons," she started. Booth cut her off.

"Bones, you said I could try," he reminded her. She stayed silent and gave him another death glare. "Thank you," he continued. "Now, what would you have had to give up in order to go with him?"

"My job," she answered instantly. "My life at the Jeffersonian, our partnership."

"So I _did_ affect your decision," he said.

"Indirectly," she protested. "You're my partner, so, naturally, you had to fall under the job category."

"Fair enough. What else?"

"My friends. Angela, Zack, Hodgins, and now Cam, we're a team. Leaving would've meant abandoning them. I couldn't do that," she said. She was silent for a moment as she racked her brain for another sacrifice Sully wanted her to make. "I can't think of anything else."

"Time with your brother," Booth suggested.

"I…don't think Russ will show up anytime soon," she said.

"Okay, well, you never know what'll happen with your father, and who knows, you may even end up learning more about your mom."

"It'd be irrational to rule out any possibility along those lines," she agreed. "Anything else?"

"You can't catch the Gravedigger from a boat in the Caribbean," he said quietly. She instantly tensed up at the mention of the Gravedigger's name.

"Very true," she said quietly.

Booth and all five of the Jeffersonian Squints were working on the Gravedigger case. Each would put a little effort into it whenever they had time. It wasn't their priority; the Squints, at least, weren't even supposed to be working on it at all, but they all felt it was their duty to put that particular killer in jail for life. He had affected all of them, caused all of them to almost lose either their life or a friend, and they all wanted that killer caught as soon as scientifically possible. They were all working independently for the most part. All of them knew the others were working on the case, but no one ever talked about it. If any leads were discovered, they would, of course, be discussed, but until that happened, the topic was taboo among them.

"So, to recap, this guy was asking you to give up your job, your friends, your family, and…other things," Booth said. He couldn't bring himself to actually mention the Gravedigger by name again.

When Booth first heard about the offer, he truly thought that it might be a good opportunity for Brennan. She worked so hard, and she definitely deserved some time off to have a bit of fun. Now, though, as the rationalized, logical words flowed out of Booth's mouth and through his mind, he realized just how ridiculous Sully's offer had been. He had basically asked her to give up _everything_ for him.

"That's correct," Brennan said, going over his list in her head.

"It definitely sounds like you made the right decision. Bones, what would you have had in the Caribbean that you don't have here in DC?"

"A relationship," she mumbled quietly.

"What was that?" Booth asked.

"A relationship," she repeated, louder this time. "A real, loving, adult relationship. I've never had that." The sadness in her eyes returned.

Part of Booth couldn't believe his ears. This was _Bones_ he was talking to. Fiercely independent Dr. Temperance Brennan. The same woman who claimed to not need anyone, that she was perfectly fine on her own, was the same woman standing in front of him mourning the loss of what potentially could've been a great relationship with a man she thought she someday might've or could've loved. It was at this moment that Booth realized the intensity of her independence, her complete self-reliance, was all an act, a façade she put on for the rest of the world to hide her true vulnerability.

"Sure you have," Booth said, trying to lift her sprits.

"When?" Brennan challenged.

"You had Pete. I mean, you _were_ living with him, Bones."

"Yeah, I was living with Peter, and that relationship ended so horribly that I felt the need to run off to Guatemala and spend two entire months in mass genocide graves just to get away from him," she pointed out.

"Or get _over_ him, Bones," Booth suggested.

"The whole thing ended with him breaking into my apartment to steal my TV and get me into bed and me beating him with a baseball bat before throwing him out. That doesn't sound very 'adult' to me, Booth," she said.

"At least you didn't shoot him. Bastard was lucky the baseball bat and a slammed door was all he had to deal with," Booth replied. Brennan's lips curved into a small smile as she realized the truth in his words. "Look, Bones, you'll have another relationship. You and Sully got together with the intention of it being a fling, and that's all it was meant to be. You guys just weren't supposed to be together."

"I don't believe in _that_, either," Brennan replied.

"Whether you believe it or not, it's probably true."

"Probably? This whole conversation has been based on assumptions?" she asked.

"Not all of it, but I can't predict the future, Bones! Who knows what could happen? There's an infinite number of possibilities."

"That's true," she agreed. Another thing Temperance Brennan hated was the unpredictable nature of life itself.

"I know that spending your time in paradise lying on a boat in a bikini all day must be appealing, but I bet you would've been bored in a month, maximum. That lifestyle just isn't you, Bones," Booth said honestly.

"It could be!" she protested.

"No, it couldn't. You love what you do too much. You love your work, you love _our_ work, too much," he concluded. She pursed her lips and nodded, knowing he was right about that.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, flashing him a smile.

"You feel better?" he asked. She nodded yes. "Okay, so come lay down under the stars."

Booth loosened his uncomfortable tie and tossed it onto the chair with his jacket. Brennan pulled off her stilettos and sat down next to where Booth was laying in the same position as before. Brennan lay back onto the carpet but sat up as soon as she felt her hair pins press into her scalp.

"Ow!" she exclaimed. Her hands immediately started messing with her hair as Booth instantly shot up at her cry of pain.

"Ow what? What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"It's fine. Angela did my hair tonight, and it's not a very comfortable style, especially if one wants to lay on it. I have no idea how she got my hair to stay in this position without hairspray," she explained.

Booth watched as Brennan twisted her fingers into her hair and gently pulled out every elastic band and gold pin she could find.

"Do you see any I missed?" she asked, turning her head from side to side.

"Let me see," he said.

Booth scooted closer to her, reached around her face, and tangled his fingers into her hair. His arms brushed lightly against her face, and Brennan instinctively closed her eyes at the sensation of Booth's fingers dancing across her head. He took his time checking for pins, being careful not to pull on her hair and at the same time, enjoying the feel of her cool locks against his warm hands. She opened her eyes again as she felt him pull back. His task was complete, and he let her soft, auburn hair fall through his fingers as he smoothed it around her bare shoulders.

Before Booth knew what was happening, Brennan had leaned over and gently pressed her mouth to his. Her mouth was open and she caught his bottom lip between hers, gently sucking on it, while her hand curled around his arm, steadying herself. Just as Booth's mind registered what was going on and as he began to return the kiss, she pulled away and slowly opened her eyes. He looked stunned as his deep brown eyes met her icy blue ones.

"What…what was that for?" he asked. He instantly felt very proud of himself for being able to form a whole sentence given the circumstances.

She shrugged as if it were nothing. "I wanted to."

"Bones…" he said. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. She had _wanted_ to? And she was openly _admitting _it?

"Everything happens eventually, right, Booth?" she said, using his earlier words to her. She slowly leaned towards him as she spoke.

"That's right," he confirmed, moving towards her.

Their lips came together in a second sweet and gentle kiss. It was quick, like the first, as Booth pulled away before it could be deepened. She didn't say anything or look away from him, and Booth could see confusion and a slight fear of rejection in her eyes. As much as Booth wanted to not question anything and keep kissing her warm lips, he needed to make sure it was what she truly wanted, too. He was a gentleman, not the type to take advantage of a woman, especially when that woman happened to be his Bones.

"You're not kissing me because you're upset about Sully and needing a 'biological release,' are you?" Booth asked.

"No, Booth, of course not," she said honestly. "I _want_ to kiss you. If I just needed a release, I could've gotten that from one of Angela's asinine choices."

He smiled. "Good, because I wouldn't forgive myself if I took advantage of your vulnerability right now if it wasn't what you really wanted." He cupped her cheek into his palm as he lowered his voice to a quiet, whispered tone. "Plus, you have no idea how long I've waited to kiss you."

"You've been wanting to kiss me?" she asked genuinely surprised.

"You know, Bones, for a genius, you can be pretty oblivious sometimes," he smiled, pulling her to him.

Their lips met for the third time that evening. This time, the shyness and hesitation that often comes with first kisses was gone. Both cupped the other's cheek with one of their hands while their remaining hands locked together, fingers intertwined. After a few moments of gentle sucking and breathing together, Booth decided to deepen the kiss. His brain forgot about how much he wanted to taste her, however, as soon as he felt Brennan's fingers delicately moving into his hair, tenderly massaging his head. He decided that he could play it her way for a while and let her set the pace of their kisses as his thumb soothingly caressed her face.

A few kisses later, Brennan decided that she'd had enough of the slow, romantic kisses that she and Booth were currently sharing, and she smoothly brushed her tongue against his bottom lip, asking for entrance. He granted her request immediately, but just as her tongue began to penetrate his lips, they heard the planetarium door opening.

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_Most of you were right in guessing that Booth was in the planetarium, so I hope you guys liked this chapter. Please review if you've got some time!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks so much for all the reviews! I originally wrote this as one really long story, but decided it was way too long to post on the site as a one-shot, so I tried to find good spots to break it up into chapters. It worked pretty well until I got to the second half. So this chapter is kind of short compared to the others, but the next chapter is going to be really long, so I hope you don't mind too much._

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Booth and Brennan quickly pulled their lips away from the other. Her hand rested on his shoulder as his moved down to her neck. Sounds of girlish giggles and deep kisses filled the room as the invading couple entered the auditorium. They remained close enough to the entranceway that their faces weren't able to be illuminated by the stars above them. Booth cleared his throat loudly to alert them that they didn't have the place to themselves. The couple broke apart and froze in place.

"I told you this place would already be taken," Angela sighed.

"Angela?" Brennan asked, recognizing her voice.

"Bren?" she replied, recognizing her voice.

"Oh, great. Squint invasion," Booth muttered. He dropped his hand off of Brennan's face and placed it on top of their still-intertwined hands.

"Booth?" Hodgins drunkenly asked. "Is that Booth?"

"Yes, it's Booth," Angela answered. She turned to her friends. "So _this_ is where you disappeared to."

The couple finished stepping into the auditorium, which exposed their faces and allowed them to see Booth and Brennan for the first time. Angela's eyes immediately noticed their close proximity to each other and their joined hands. Her eyes then traveled to the side of the auditorium, and she spotted Brennan's shoes and Booth's jacket and tie thrown haphazardly over a chair.

"What'cha guys doing?" she asked, suggestively.

"Nothing," Booth shrugged.

Angela smiled as she fought back a giggle. Even if they didn't want to admit it, she was fairly certain they had been in here kissing. She then silently cursed both herself and Hodgins for interrupting what could've turned into something more between her best friend and the FBI agent. "Yeah, that's what Hodgie and I came in here for, too," she said, a wicked smile on her face.

Booth immediately dropped Brennan's hand and completely broke contact with the anthropologist. He shifted away from her uncomfortably as a small grin began to form on 

Brennan's face. She liked seeing him squirm sometimes. Angela then noticed her friend's loose hair.

"Sweetie, what did you do to your hair?" Angela asked with an appalled look on her face. Brennan looked flustered and ran her fingers through the length of her hair. She had forgotten all about the fact that she had destroyed Angela's hard work.

"I…it's his fault!" Brennan said, pointing at Booth. He looked shocked.

"What did I do?" he protested immediately.

"You told me to come lay down under the stars with you," she said.

"As I remember, all I said was 'come lay down.' How in the world does that translate into 'Please, Bones, destroy your friend's hard work?'" Booth countered. Angela smiled but decided to put an end to the bickering before either of them got too upset.

"You guys are cute," she said. "And I really don't care about what you did to your hair."

"Angie, look," Hodgins said, finally speaking. He pointed up to the stars.

"What is it, baby?" she asked, looking up.

"There's so many!" he exclaimed with awe.

"He's a little drunk," Angela explained.

"This place is cool!" Hodgins exclaimed, stumbling to lie down on the carpet. "Are they supposed to be spinning that fast?"

"Sorry for interrupting," Angela said.

"You weren't interrupting anything," Brennan said. She was fairly certain that her best friend had deduced that she and Booth had been kissing, but she wasn't quite ready to admit it out loud to Angela yet. "Feel free to hide out with us, if you'd like."

"Great," Angela said.

Angela got onto the floor in between Hodgins and Brennan. Hodgins immediately wrapped her up in his arms, pressing their bodies together. Booth and Brennan lay back as well, keeping a bit of distance between them. Both stared at the stars and didn't look the other in the eye, slightly embarrassed about essentially having been caught making out. Silence filled the room for a while until Hodgins started uncontrollably laughing.

"What's so funny?" Brennan asked.

"It's so _big_," Hodgins chuckled, still amazed by the stars above him. His drunken amazement sent the other three into their own fits of laughter.

"How much did he drink?" Booth asked.

"_Too_ much," Angela replied.

"Nah, it could never be too much. I was sticking it to the man!" Hodgins said, enthusiastically.

"So would that be me, Hodgepodge?" Cam asked.

Booth, Brennan, and Angela all sat up instantly, startled by Cam's voice. They sat up to find an angry but amused looking Cam standing at the auditorium's entrance with her arms folded across her chest. Hodgins, in his drunken state, didn't realize what was going on and remained lying on the floor.

"Whoa, Angie, that sounded _just_ like Cam!" he exclaimed. "How'd you do that?"

"It _was_ Cam," Cam said, looking directly at Hodgins.

"Oh, crap!" Hodgins exclaimed, shooting up to join his friends.

Cam took in the scene in front of her and instantly noticed Brennan's disheveled hair and the clothes that had been flung into the chair. She looked at the partners. Booth looked slightly embarrassed as Brennan looked calm and composed, as normal. Hodgins had gone back to gaping at the stars, from a sitting position this time, while Angela kept glancing between Brennan and Hodgins, as if she couldn't decide which one of them to keep an eye on.

"What's going on in here?" Cam asked. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know the answer to that question, but, as the boss, it had to be asked.

"We were just looking at the stars," Brennan replied instantly as Booth blushed. He felt like he was seventeen and back in the principal's office.

"They stole our sex room!" Hodgins exclaimed, pointing at Booth and Brennan. Now it was Angela's turn to blush as Brennan and Booth both looked mortified.

"What? No! Cam, we didn't! I swear I was in here a good 30 minutes before anyone, _including_ Bones, even showed up!" Booth stuttered. "We were _not_ having sex in here. I promise!"

Cam's lips twitched into a smile at her ex-boyfriend's very flustered reaction. Same old Seeley. "Okay, maybe I didn't make myself clear. When I said we all had to attend the party, I meant you actually have to _attend_ the party, not stay for half an hour and then go hide until it ends. Man, if I had to pick which one of my employees would be most likely to go hide during this banquet, I would've picked Zack!"

"Is anyone else seeing three of her?" Jack whispered. Angela shook her head no.

"Okay, so maybe I should let you leave because you're obviously wasted, but the rest of you…let's go," Cam said. She turned to Booth and Brennan. "Get dressed."

"What? I…look…fully clothed!" Booth said, motioning between himself and his partner. Brennan began to move towards her shoes. "It's hot in here, okay? A guy can take off his jacket, and those shoes of hers don't exactly look comfortable. Jeez!"

Cam smiled once again at Booth's reaction and turned to walk out of the planetarium. Angela noticed the disappointed looks on Booth and Brennan's faces and decided to work a little Angela magic.

"Cam!" she called, running after her boss.

"Yes?" Cam said, turning to face her.

"Let Booth and Brennan stay in here," Angela said.

"Why?" Cam asked with a puzzled expression on her face.

"They're _finally_ talking. You know, working through their issues," Angela improved.

"What issues would that be?" Cam asked.

"The ones they've had ever since Brennan let Sully sail into the sunset without her. The ones that have been affecting their _cases_ and _working_ relationship lately," Angela said, placing emphasis on the 'work' part of her argument.

Cam took a moment to think over Angela's proposal. "Okay, just for a little while longer, but you and Hodgins have to come back to the party."

"On our way," Angela smiled.

Angela walked back into the auditorium to find Brennan attempting to make her hair look presentable. Booth was watching her, and Hodgins was struggling to stand up. Angela walked over to help her boyfriend and smiled as Booth very obviously watched Brennan mess with her hair.

"Hey, Cam said you two could stay here," Angela said. All three of the other people in the room looked surprised.

"How is _that_ fair?" Hodgins protested.

"Why would she do that?" Brennan asked.

"I told her you guys were talking and working through your issues," Angela said.

"We don't have issues," Brennan said.

"Look, it was obvious that you guys want to stay here, so I said what I had to say to get Cam to let you do just that. You guys can come back to the party if you want," Angela said, beginning to leave with Hodgins. "Oh, and Booth, I know it's dark in here, but I'm almost positive that that shade of pink lipstick _really_ isn't your color."

"Angela!" Brennan exclaimed as Booth began to furiously wipe his mouth.

"Have fun, Brennan," Angela said in a sing-song voice as she and Jack left.

"Well, that was embarrassing," Booth said, lying back down. Brennan lay besides him, closer to him than when Angela had been there.

"Yeah," she mumbled. "Do we have issues?"

"I don't think so. We did, but we got through them," he said. "Unless…"

"Unless?"

"Why'd you really stay, Bones?" Booth asked, knowing he probably wouldn't get an answer.

"Booth!" Brennan exclaimed. How many times did they have to go over this?

"Seriously," Booth said. "There are no therapists around, no nosy forensic artists, just you and me. You can tell me. Why'd you stay?"

"You heard Dr. Wyatt, Booth. I'm unable to live a meaningless life right now. You said yourself that lifestyle isn't me," she answered.

"And you yourself said that it could be," he retaliated.

"Someday, perhaps, but obviously not right now. Let it go, Booth," she said.

He stayed quiet for a minute, deciding whether he had yet to piss her off enough for him to actually drop the subject. He glanced at her and smiled. "You stayed because of me."

"I did not" she said calmly, her eyes never leaving the stars.

"You did," Booth said.

"I did not. That would've been irrational."

"Okay, Bones, keep telling yourself that," he said.

"Okay, new subject, please," she requested. The irritation in her voice was growing. He knew he should drop the subject and let it go, but something inside of him wouldn't give up until he got her to admit the truth.

"It was because of me!" he said again, this time with a gloating tone of voice.

"Just look at the stars, Booth," she said, deciding to ignore him.

"It's okay to admit it, you know," he said.

"Booth," she said, pointing up to the stars.

"Okay, okay," Booth said, finally conceding. He'd just have to bring it up again later.

* * *

_One more chapter left! And remember, reviews are always greatly appreciated._


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi again! I meant to have this up yesterday before the site gets flooded with "Yanks in the UK" stories, but English homework had other plans…the first two lines are italicized because they're from the last chapter, but I printed them again in case anyone forgot what was going on._

* * *

_"Booth," she said, pointing up to the stars._

_"Okay, okay," Booth said, finally conceding. He'd just have to bring it up again later._

Booth pouted slightly, but still reached over and took her hand in his. A comfortable silence fell over the pair as they laid side-by-side with their fingers intertwined. They stared into the stars, almost forgetting that it wasn't real and they weren't really outside. Brennan let out a small sigh.

"God, I love this place," she breathed.

"Come here often?" Booth asked, laughing slightly. He couldn't imagine her coming here much.

"Not as much as I'd like to. Not anymore, anyway," she replied.

"You used to come here a lot?" he asked, trying to hide the surprise in his voice.

"When I first came to the Jeffersonian, I figured out that our key cards gave us access to the museum as well as the labs. I would come in here after hours whenever I had a case that was particularly upsetting or hard to deal with," she revealed.

"Really?" he asked. He never pictured her as the type to lie on the ground, stare up at the stars, and allow herself to be lost in her own thoughts.

"I'm not the heartless robot everyone thinks I am, Booth. The cases _do_ affect me sometimes. In the beginning, it happened all the time. I simply became pretty skilled in covering up my emotions," she said. "Letting emotions get in the way leads to inefficiency in the workplace as far as my job is concerned."

"Of course the cases affect you, Bones," he said, looking at her. "Nobody thinks you're heartless."

She met his gaze for a moment and smiled at him before turning back to the stars. "Anyway, it just became a habit for me to come in here whenever I was angry or upset about something. Looking up at the stars is soothing to me, which seems slightly illogical considering space is such a mystery and there are so many unanswered questions. Something like that should drive me crazy."

"So why do you find it soothing?" he asked, agreeing with her.

"I don't know. I guess I like the mystery. I don't really like the unpredictability of life, but staring into space is like staring into infinity itself."

"Yeah," Booth agreed. "It's beautiful."

"It certainly is," she agreed.

"So what's upsetting you?" he asked.

"I don't understand," she said.

"You say you come in here to relax when you're upset, so what's up? Is it Sully?" he asked. He briefly wondered if that was an obvious question, but she had already surprised him several times that night. Who was he to assume that it wouldn't happen again?

Brennan was silent for a long time as she debated whether or not to be honest with him. She stared into the stars as she thought it over. She finally sighed and looked at him. "Everyone who claims to love me leaves me."

His face softened as the words left her mouth. He looked directly into her eyes. "Listen, Bones, I know it may seem that way, but it's not true. Your parents left you to protect you. They left you, yes, but they did it out of love, and your brother left because he was nineteen and suddenly the full-time parent to a fifteen year old girl. He left because he didn't know what else to do, and Sully…Sully just didn't love you enough," Booth said, unable to justify his fellow agent abandoning her. "He wouldn't have left if he had."

"Do you really believe that?" she asked.

"I do," he nodded. "Bones, you have plenty of people in your life that would never leave you." He knew plenty may be pushing it a bit, but he was determined to make her feel better.

"Like whom?" she asked, not believing him.

"Angela, for one," Booth pointed out. "And Zack. Bones, Zack stalled getting his doctorate just because he didn't want to quit working with you!"

"But he didn't quit working for me. He simply applied for a job here. I have no idea why he seemed to slow the process of receiving his degree, but it didn't have anything to do with me."

"Bones, it had everything to do with you. That kid was completely enamored with you. He didn't know he'd be able to get a job at the Jeffersonian after he got his degree. He thought you'd replace him with another student as soon as he completed school," Booth explained, smiling at her obliviousness.

Brennan smiled as she began to see the truth in his words. She looked him directly in the eye. "And you?" she asked.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said sincerely.

Honesty shone in his dark eyes as he gently caressed her face with his thumb. He moved closer to her and rolled onto his side to face her. She moved onto her side as well and met his lips halfway. She sighed as their lips met in a warm, open-mouthed kiss, and she grabbed his face as his tongue gently probed her mouth. He tasted every last corner of her mouth, savoring the strawberry and champagne tastes on her lips. He gently curled his tongue around hers, eliciting a deep moan from her.

Booth grabbed onto her hip and slowly rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of his body. Her soft curls fell onto his face as they kissed. His hands rested on her hips and in her hair while she placed one of her hands on his face to hold him steady and rested the other on his shoulder. His lips were soft and warm against hers, applying just the right amount of pressure, and they continued to kiss each other slowly and passionately.

After a long time spent deeply kissing the other, Brennan moved her hand from its position on his shoulder. She maneuvered her hand over to his chest and slowly undid the top two buttons on Booth's dress shirt. As soon as the buttons were unfastened, she slipped her hand inside the folds of his shirt, feeling his chest. He pulled away from her lips and began nipping at her ear as her fingers continued to tickle his skin.

"Oh, God, Bones," he breathed as she dragged her thumb across his nipple. She instantly shook her head no.

"Not Bones. Not now," she whispered. "Tempe."

"Temperance," he whispered in a deep voice.

"That works, too," she agreed. She removed her hand from his chest, drawing out a small whimper from him due to the loss of contact, and used both of her hands to pull his face up to meet hers, wanting to feel his lips against hers again. He eagerly obliged, cupping her face into his palms.

Their kisses became harder and more urgent as both of their bodies begged them not to stop. She flicked open another shirt button to give her hands more access to his chest, and as she stroked up and down his torso, he felt the need to feel her bare skin against his. He began to lightly tug at the dress tie around the back of her neck. She separated their lips, and he immediately began kissing her neck, not wanting to break contact.

"Seeley," she breathed. "We, _oh_…we…we can't."

"I think the line's already been obliterated, Temperance," Booth said with a wicked grin on his face.

"Not because of _that_. We can't _here_," she clarified.

"Why?" he asked. "I thought you were on the pill."

"I am, but…wait, how do you know that?" she asked. She immediately shook her head. "Never mind. Don't answer that. That's not what I was referring to, either. We just…we can't do this _here_."

"Why? I promise we're not going to get more romantic than this," he said, glancing up at the stars.

"Since you've been in here, Angela, Hodgins, Cam, and I have all just walked right in, and if you got that embarrassed earlier just from _almost_ being caught _kissing_ me…" she said, her voice trailing off.

"Okay, I see your point," Booth agreed. He definitely did not want someone walking in on them, especially not a drunken Hodgins, an overly-enthusiastic Angela, an angry Cam, or, worst of all, a very unsuspecting Zack.

"We've been gone from the party long enough that I don't think anyone will notice if we leave. My apartment's not too far," she suggested.

"No," Booth said. "Wait here."

Booth gently moved her off of his body and stood up. She sat up and watched as he sprinted towards the exit. She briefly worried that he was leaving and stood to follow him out of the auditorium.

"Booth!" she called. He returned just as quickly, walked over to her, and took her hands into his larger ones.

"All fixed," he said, a charming smile on his face.

"I don't know what that means," she said.

"Nobody's going to be bothering us. I locked the door," he said proudly.

Brennan briefly felt incredibly stupid for not thinking of that herself. She certainly knew the lock was there. Instead of vocalizing her thought, she decided poke fun at Booth instead.

"Are you really so impatient that you can't honestly wait to get back to my apartment?" she asked him, expecting a sarcastic reply.

"Yes," he said frankly, surprising Brennan. He dropped his voice to a low whisper. "And ever since you kissed me, I've kind of had my heart set on making love to you under the stars."

Brennan's mouth opened slightly in shock. She certainly hadn't been expecting that answer. He chuckled at her expression and waited for her to reply. Brennan looked up at the planetarium ceiling and looked at him. She mentally formed an image of her and Booth making love under the stars and decided that this was, indeed, incredibly romantic.

"What if somebody hears us?" she asked.

Booth laughed. Couldn't she stop thinking and worrying and rationalizing just for _one_ night? "So we'll save loud and fast for another night," he said. "Right now, we'll just be slow, gentle, and quiet."

"Another night?" she asked. She liked the sound of that.

"Yeah, Bones. Another night," he confirmed.

"Okay," she nodded, smiling slightly.

"You good? You okay?" he asked. She nodded. "Wanna change your mind?" She shook her head no as she finished unfastening the buttons on his shirt, pulling it out from the waistband of his pants.

Booth walked over to the auditorium chair, grabbed his jacket, and spread it onto the floor for them to lie on. He kissed her deeply as he reached behind her hair and untied her dress. Once the ties were loose, he gently maneuvered her onto his jacket, lying on top of her.

They removed each other's clothes slowly, savoring the new skin exposed with each disregarded article of clothing. He told her how beautiful she was and kissed her softly after she replied with a similar compliment. Brennan's eyes fluttered open and closed as he nuzzled and kissed her neck and her chest. She saw the stars above them as her eyes closed when his lips touched her sensitive skin, and she chuckled as she thought about what a cliché that was.

He brought his head back up to her face and kissed the giggle off of her lips as his rough hands caressed her bare skin, making it tingle beneath his touch. Her arms were wrapped firmly around his body, holding him close to her, and her legs were bent around him, brushing against either side of his hips as he moved down her body to kiss her. They thoroughly explored each other's bodies with both their hands and their mouths as both began to long for release.

Just as Booth had stated, they made love under the stars softly, slowly, and passionately. They continued to explore the other's body as they made love, touching, licking, and kissing, quietly but strongly moaning the other's first name when it felt especially good. Their lips rarely broke contact as they kissed throughout most of the night. The longer their lovemaking lasted, the more the world around them seemed to melt away, and Brennan began to feel like she truly was making love to him underneath the infinite night sky.

Booth rolled to Brennan's side once they were both spent. She sighed at the loss of contact and shivered slightly as the cool air hit her warm, overheated skin. Their gazes fixed on the stars orbiting slowly above them as they struggled to calm their heavy breathing.

"_God_, Temperance," Booth sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening.

"You were right," she breathed. "That was worth the risk of getting caught."

They locked eyes and leaned together, sweetly kissing until air became absolutely necessary. She turned her eyes to the stars once again as she rested on her back, breathing deeply, trying to fill her lungs with the oxygen she desperately needed. Booth's eyes, however, focused on her.

Earlier, Booth had been so caught up with kissing and touching every centimeter of her that he had forgotten to really look at her. His eyes traveled over her naked body slowly, and his eyes lingered on her torso for a moment as he watched her chest move up and down heavily. He briefly thought about how he loved the fact that she hadn't immediately covered herself up and was perfectly content to lie there and let him look at her. He moved his eyes up to her face only to discover that she was looking at him, too.

Booth reached out and pulled her body to him. She turned and curled her figure against his side. Her fingers began to lightly trace the defined muscles on his chest as he tenderly ran his fingers through her hair.

"With the risk of sounding cliché, that was _amazing_, Temperance," he said.

She said nothing but kissed his lips softly to show him that she wholeheartedly concurred. Silence fell over them once again as they held each other and watched the stars.

"Seeley?" she whispered. He was beginning to love the way she said his first name. He looked at her and allowed his chocolate brown eyes to meet her light blue ones.

"Yes?" he asked, matching her tone of voice.

"I stayed because of you," she finally admitted. He smiled slightly.

"I know," he said.

"You are so cocky," she instantly replied.

"Hey, you've seen my belt buckle," he teased. When she glared at him, he continued. "I'm just good at reading people, especially you. That's why we started bickering more than normal. We both knew why you stayed, Bones," he said.

She sighed, knowing he was right. "So what now?" she asked.

He kissed her hair. There she goes with that worrying again. "Can I sleep over tonight?" he asked. He definitely wanted to wake up the next morning in the exact position he and his partner were in at that moment.

"You better," she replied, smiling.

"Well, since that's settled, I think I could use some champagne," Booth said. "Shall we?"

Brennan let a small sigh of both comfort and reluctance escape her lips. She was perfectly satisfied with staying how they were, but she also knew that they couldn't stay in the planetarium forever. Booth had begun to slowly run his fingers over the bare skin on her back, and for once in her life, she honestly didn't want to move and get back to work.

"Okay," she finally mumbled.

They got dressed quickly and silently, each of them sneaking quick, final glances at the other. Brennan brushed her hair and pulled it up into an elegant ponytail as Booth tied his tie back into place. She turned the lights on, shut off the stars, and walked back to the party with Booth after one last long and lingering kiss.

Their eyes quickly scanned the room as they arrived at the party. The ballroom looked pretty similar to how it did when Brennan left it quite a while ago. Hodgins had retreated back to his corner but had, thankfully, stopped drinking for the time being. He still wore a look of absolute misery on his face. Zack and Cam were dancing together, and Zack seemed to have gained some coordination skills while Brennan had been gone. Angela was currently standing at the bar, waiting on the bartender to finish mixing her drink. She immediately noticed Booth and Brennan's arrival, grabbed her drink, and quickly walked over to them. Booth left to get champagne as Angela approached them.

"Sweetie! How was it? Tell me _everything_," Angela demanded.

"How was what?" Tempe asked innocently. "What are you talking about?"

"The sex with Booth, silly!" she said in an eager but quiet tone of voice.

"Ange, there was no…" Tempe started. Her voice trailed off as her lips involuntarily twitched into a smile, giving her away.

Angela gasped. "Oh my God. You can't even get out the_ lie_! That means it was good. Was it _amazing_? Of course it was amazing. You were with _Booth_! Hey, is he bigger than Sully?" she said, talking at a rapid speed.

Brennan's mouth dropped open. "Angela! We're in public!"

"Aww, so that's a no?" she asked with disappointment.

Brennan hesitated before smiling again. "Well," she said.

Angela's face broke into a smile as she gasped again and hugged her friend tightly. "Oh, sweetie! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks," Brennan laughed, hugging her back. Both girls smiled as they pulled apart. "And I will tell you everything tomorrow when we're in my office and not surrounded by the Jeffersonian's…biggest donors and…my…employers."

Brennan blushed and a slight look of horror crossed her face as she realized what she had done. Making love with Booth had honestly caused her to forget that there had been an entire party filled with the biggest contributors to the Jeffersonian Institute going on the whole time she was with him.

"Oh, don't worry about it. You deserve it, Bren," Angela said. "And you _promise_ to tell me everything?"

"Yes," Brennan confirmed.

Booth chose that moment to walk back over to the girls. He handed a glass of champagne to Brennan. Angela smiled up at Booth with a wicked grin on her face.

"Hey, Seeley," she said with an equally wicked tone of voice.

Booth looked at Brennan in disbelief. "You told her _already_?"

"I didn't have to tell her anything, Booth. It's Angela. She figured it out," Brennan said. "It's like she has a seventh sense for this kind of thing."

"Sixth sense, Bones," Booth corrected with a grin on his face.

"Right," Brennan answered, sipping her champagne. She turned to Angela. "How's Hodgins doing?"

"Oh, he was disappointed about the two of you 'stealing our planetarium', but I convinced him that we gave it up for a good cause," Angela said, still grinning at the new couple. Booth, of course, shifted uncomfortably as his cheeks turned a bright pink color. Angela held up her drink. "I'd like to propose a toast," she said.

"Oh boy," Booth muttered. Tempe elbowed him gently as they both raised their glasses.

"To…astronomy," Angela said. Booth looked even more embarrassed and Brennan smiled, pursed her lips together, and slightly shook her head. The three clinked their glasses together and took a sip of their drinks. The look on Booth's face told Brennan that he really wanted to get away from Angela.

"Okay," he said. "Sorry to drag her away, but Bones and I are gonna go dance."

"No, we're not," Brennan said, shaking her head.

"Yes, we are," Booth said, setting their glasses onto the nearest table.

"No, Booth, we're not," Brennan protested.

"_Yes_, we are," Booth said slowly, taking her hand. Angela watched the exchange with an amused look on her face. At least sleeping together wasn't going to ruin their relationship. Brennan looked at Angela as her best friend gave her an encouraging nod.

"Fine," Brennan conceded, smiling at Booth.

"Good choice, Bones," Booth said, lacing his fingers in between hers.

"You know, maybe these parties aren't so infinitely bad after all," Brennan said with a small smile as she allowed Booth to lead her out onto the dance floor.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Only half an hour till the premiere! I'm so excited!_

_Please leave a review! _


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